


The Moon and I

by nt97



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, My First Fanfic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-21
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-26 12:43:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15001133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nt97/pseuds/nt97
Summary: He was as bright as the moon.And I was just one of his million admirers.(where the protag has a "tiny" crush on Moon Bin but an obstacle stands between them in the form of Cha Eunwoo)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at fanfic so please forgive my mistakes and my clumsy writing

**CHAPTER ONE**

 

I had a crush. It was so bad that I didn’t want to acknowledge it myself. 

The object of my particularly unwanted affection was in one of my new lectures – it was a huge combined lecture for the semester, and I can’t seem to recall the exact subject. No, it’s not because I was busy staring at someone instead of listening to the professor. 

And there was another surprising event that occurred in that particular lecture— one of the most popular guys in the university became my friend. To give an introduction to you, I am a very average college student; very average GPA, average physical appearance and average circle of friends. But apparently, Cha Eunwoo took a liking to me and decided that I was a suitable candidate to be his friend for the semester. 

There was always a buzz around him; pretty, model-like girls stuck to him all the time, and other guys trying to feed off his popularity. He was a part-time model, and a new actor who had decided to attend college like a good student and get his degree before he invested fully in the entertainment business (that was what he told me on the first day of college; it was how he introduced himself). 

On the first day I had arrived early for the lecture, and was sitting in the middle of the benches. I didn’t like the front because it was too close to the lecturer’s attack range and the back was too far for me to actually hear what was going on in class. Then Cha Eunwoo and his gang of starstruck followers walked in; he glanced around and then started walking towards me. He dumped his backpack in the seat in front of me, turned around and flashed a pretty smile at me. 

I was not impressed.

The noise and people around him annoyed me— the last thing I wanted was to become acquainted with the cause of all the commotion. 

“Hi, I’m Eunwoo”

“Hi”

He waited for me to say something more, his eyes shining in anticipation. I sighed and then decided to play along, “I’m Sejong"

From that day, I sealed my fate. I would never be able to confess to my crush. Because on that day, I became friends with the number one rival of the guy I liked. 

Cha Eunwoo, you bastard. How I wish I could reverse everything, but you became too much of a good friend for me to resent you. 

***

“The new director was really mean to me, he said that I got the role only because of my face! Can you believe that?” 

“Mm-hmm”

“And he said that my expressions were too stiff and that I was— Are you even listening?” 

“Huh?” I snapped back to reality, trying to focus on Eunwoo’s pale face infront of me. “Yes of course I’m listening”

“Okay” His face was skeptical though, but he continued “And you know…”

I continued nodding but my thoughts were elsewhere. Warm chocolate eyes and floppy brown hair. The little tilt he did with his head when he was confused. His smile which lit up his entire face and his eyes which sparkled like the stars. I was a lost case.

And then he came, a few minutes late like always. He had a gaggle of people surrounding him as well but it wasn’t as big as Eunwoo’s cult. The professor snapped at them for being late but his mischievous grin turned her mood around. She let them enter and they swished inside the hall, with him in the lead. They always occupied the corner at the back. I never saw him sitting anywhere else. Even if he was late, nobody dared to sit in that place. 

Because no matter how casually he tossed his smile around, everyone was intimidated by Moon Bin.

After all, he was the captain of the university basketball team, and a competitive sportsman specializing in basketball, soccer, and boxing. He could throw a mean punch and his flickering temper was legendary. There were many stories of people who picked a fight with Moon Bin and had had to go home whimpering with their tail between their legs. 

We had nothing in common—I didn’t particularly enjoy sports, and had no idea about the specifics of basketball. I spent my time watching movies, and sometimes going on hikes. I had a love for outdoor walks—the only time I could be convinced to go outside. I was easygoing and hated competition; he had a hunger for winning. He was a popular kid and the only popularity I had was for being Eunwoo’s “little friend”. Eunwoo’s to blame for being the lanky giant he is. 

Everything in the universe screamed NO at me. I cannot fall for this person. But I couldn’t help myself. I could see him in a huge crowd from a mile away; he just stood out so much to me. I was still in denial about my feelings on the day when he declared war on Eunwoo. 

That day, after the lecture was over, Moon Bin walked over to us. I couldn’t believe that he was coming towards us, but his eyes were only on Eunwoo. I kept my head down as I stuffed my books in my bag, lingering so that I could listen to him, trying to ignore my racing heart.

He thumped down on the seat beside Eunwoo, his arm casually draping over Eunwoo’s shoulder. 

“Hi Cha Eunwoo” his smile was bitter and he seemed to be clenching his teeth. 

Eunwoo (the idiot) didn’t notice the warning signs and just smiled widely “Hi, what’s up?“ 

“You know, the kids have been saying that you are one handsome guy with over the top skills in everything. So I’ve grown interested in you”

“Really? Aw, I think that’s an exaggeration” Eunwoo shrugged it off 

I mentally slapped my forehead. It was obvious that Moon Bin’s pride had been hurt and his competitive spirit was stirring. Eunwoo was so oblivious to it. 

 “No, really” Now Moon Bin’s gritted teeth were clearly visible and I noticed his friendly arm tightening in a not-so friendly way “I even heard that you used to play basketball for the district tournaments and that you were damn good”

I could literally hear him finishing the sentence in his head – that you were better than me. 

Cha Eunwoo, deny that now! Say they were just rumours and that you can’t even dribble the stupid ball. I was torn between wanting to defend my friend, and wanting to talk to Moon Bin. 

I opened my mouth, about to butt in and say that Eunwoo never played as a district representative when Eunwoo shrugged again and said, “I did in high school, but I never really liked it” 

The off-hand way Eunwoo said it and the way he seemed so unbothered appeared to annoy Moon Bin further, because his eyes darkened. He stood up abruptly and only then did he glance at me, I blushed because he caught me with my mouth open (which I closed hastily). His dark eyes met mine for a moment and then I looked down to zip my bag. I didn’t look up until I heard him say, “Well I hope we can talk again Eunwoo” and walk away. 

“What was that about? “ Eunwoo looked at me with a puzzled expression and for a moment, I thought he had been able to read the tense atmosphere but then he smiled and the moment passed. “Maybe he wants to be friends?”

“Eun-Eunwoo!” I sputtered, unable to say anything more. His airheaded nature baffled me to no extent. 

“What?” He asked, genuinely confused.  

“Ah whatever” I stood up and knocked on his head—“This is one happy place to live in”

I walked out of the room, leaving behind a confused Eunwoo and my head full of Moon Bin’s competitive attitude towards my friend and what that would mean for me. 

To Moon Bin, it would mean that I play for the rival team and that we were now enemies. 

***

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

We regularly had college gatherings and when I was a first year, I had to attend most of them because my seniors would get offended if I didn’t. Honestly speaking, I would have liked it better to stay inside with a warm cup of coffee and watch a new series. This year, finally, I was not under any compulsion to attend such gatherings.

So when I was invited to a gathering (by the huge combined class I had with Eunwoo), I was just about to decline politely when my very precious friend Eunwoo decided to accept on my behalf.

“We’re coming!” He gave a thumbs-up to the girl who was waiting for my answer and he flashed a smile at her, making her turn red. She stammered something about texting us the details before running back to her seat.

“Whyyyy?” I whined

“You’re coming” He turned halfway in his seat. After a few lectures, he had decided to sit beside me instead of infront of me which I didn’t like, because the group buzzing around him got closer to my personal space.

“I don’t want to “ I said stubbornly

“You need to have some fun! Relax” Eunwoo’s eyes sparked with mischief “And you will come. Because of someone”

I blinked at him, not understanding.

“Who exactly?”

He turned to the front with a little nod, just as Moon Bin walked past us on the way to his usual seat. I was blank—how did he find out about my crush? Was I that obvious?

Then Eunwoo signaled me to come closer and when I did, said in a low voice, “You’re not obvious but I’m smarter than I let on”

He drew back with a satisfied smile, apparently proud of himself for shocking me. I tried to say something; once, twice I opened my mouth and closed it without any sound.

He started to say something, probably to gloat over his intelligence when one of his followers pulled him away. I was glad about that, as I got time to think while he was busy discussing about the gathering and the excited girls flitted about him.

Okay now Eunwoo knew about it. It was just a tiny crush, no big deal. I just have a slight infatuation with Moon Bin and his smile. Fine, I can go to the gathering. I can have fun and also stare at him; a win-win situation for me.

So, I turned up for the gathering that weekend. It was dusk as I left my apartment. Eunwoo was waiting outside, without his usual gang.

He grinned at me and gave me a high five

“You came to check if I actually came?” I asked

“And to drag you out if you didn’t”, he laughed and we started walking towards our destination—a bar frequented by college students because of its budget menu.

I huffed as I tried to keep up with his long legs, “Why do you bother whether I have fun or not?”

“You remind me of my younger sister. I want you to make some friends other than me and have fun”

I didn’t say it out loud but that actually touched me. Just a little bit.

As soon as we entered the bar, Eunwoo was snatched away by an excited and slightly drunk group consisting of both girls and guys. He smiled nicely and allowed himself to be swept away.

‘ Sejun-ah! You came!” A girl whose name I didn’t remember but had seen in class, waved me over to her table. I smiled and made my way over to the table. I could go along with this; I had attended a lot of gatherings in the past anyway.

I could see a familiar brown head surrounded by his friends sitting two tables away from ours. And so, I passed the time half listening to my new friends and stealing glances at him. His smile seemed a bit forced and his eyes looked tired, but the group around him was loud and lively.

After a few drinks, I got a headache because of the noise so I went out to get a breath of fresh air. I passed Eunwoo on the way to the exit, and he looked up at me.

“Where are you going? Don’t run away” he warned me.

I snorted, conscious of all his group’s eyes on me. “I’m just gonna get some fresh air. Don’t you worry”

He nodded and then the silence broke, and the group’s conversation continued as if I had never interrupted it.

Outside, it was dark now and the streetlights were on. Opposite to the building, there was a basketball court. I crossed the road and went to the court, and sat down on the steps where the audience would normally sit.

It was cool but mosquitoes kept biting my bare legs. I slapped at some of them and managed to kill one.

“Ugh” I muttered as I tried to wipe the mess on the cement. I froze when I saw someone standing near me.  I had seen that pair of shoes before—they were as familiar to me as my own. Swallowing hard, I looked up, and my eyes met his—still so bright even in the dark. He sat down next to me, his face blank and then he handed me a tissue.

“Huh?” My voice came out in a squeak.

Moon Bin finally gave me a lopsided smile “For the mosquito corpse on your hands”

My heart lurched and I took the tissue from him, hurriedly looking down at my hands, hoping my face didn’t betray me. “Thanks”

He was silent while I wiped my hand. I cast around wildly for something interesting to say, to break the awkward silence. After admiring him from far away for so long, to have him this close to me was scary. I had to stop myself from staring at him.

Damnit. Stop acting like a lovestruck fool.

His long legs were stretched and his feet were moving in tiny motions. Left , right.

Cute, I thought.

“Was it stuffy inside?” he asked finally.

“Yeah, a bit” I smiled, happy to say something.

I risked a glance at him and his eyes glinted, he cleared his throat before saying, “I came to gather intel on Cha Eunwoo”

It was so ridiculous—the fact that he tried to make it sound like a joke but seemed to be half serious about it. I couldn’t stop my laughter from bubbling out.

“What?” His brows furrowed as he put on a fake offended face “You’re the closest information source to him that I could find” But his eyes shone with mischief and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

“Cha Eunwoo is an open book—I don’t have any kind of secret info”, I told him. “What you see is what you get”

“Come on, you must be lying… You spend a lot of time with him right?” The playfulness was suddenly gone from his face. I tried to stop myself from thinking about his famous temper as he continued “Does he think of me as a rival?”

I considered for a moment. Then I shook my head “Eunwoo thought you wanted to be friends with him. He lives in a world of his own but he’s smart and sensitive to people around him in some ways.”

Like how he found out about my feelings for you, and how he cares for me like his sister.

I couldn’t read the expression on Moon Bin’s face—I thought it was incredulous at first but then it seemed to be something else too. It was quiet again. I suddenly became conscious of the fact that he was so near to me, I could just lean a bit and our shoulders would brush against each other. His face was so close—his bangs fell into his eyes and I had the aching urge to push them out of the way.

Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.

He turned to me, his face thoughtful, “I bet you think I’m childish because of my jealousy of Eunwoo”

I didn’t hesitate at all to say “No, I don’t. I like your competitive spirit. I think you’re super cool when you’re competing in a match”

I wasn’t thinking, it just slipped out as soon as I thought it. I wanted to inhale the embarrassing words back inside.

Moon Bin didn’t say anything but his lopsided smile returned. He slapped the side of his neck suddenly, making me jump slightly because of the loud sound. He did it again.

“Mosquito?” I asked him, trying to peek at his neck to see the offending insect.

This time, he kept his hand on his neck and turned away, so I could see only his face from the side. “Ha-ha, yeah”

He cleared his throat and then glanced down. Oh gosh, I wanted to hide my feet somewhere. I was wearing my hiking shoes because I was in a hurry earlier and I felt like the black color looked fine with my shorts. If only I knew that they would come so close to Moon Bin then I would have dumped them for some heels. I could suddenly see every scar on my legs, and the small scab I had on my right knee, from falling down last week.

“Oh, you hike?” He asked and he sounded interested.

“Yeah.. “ I paused a bit, because the topic had jumped from Eunwoo to me now “I love walks and nature trails. It feels nice to get away from the city for a while.”

“I would love to go trekking someday,” he sighed. “I can’t get away from basketball practice and my friends only want me to game with them on days off.”

All hail my hiking shoes! Hallelujah!

“Well, there’s a club in our university for hiking that you can join if you don’t have anyone to go with” I suggested, trying to sound nonchalant.

“And does that mean I’ll have to skip basketball practice?”

“Nah, the club only meets once in two weeks on Sundays.”

“Well, that’s good because I don’t want to lose my coolness”

He stood up before I could react, brushing away the dust on his jeans. “It was nice talking to you. Let’s go back inside?”

Was it just me, or did his voice squeak at the last word? Was the almighty Moon Bin embarrassed?  Unbelievable. I must have misheard it.

But in that moment, the crush I had been trying to push aside grew into something else. I fell in love. With the tiny squeak in his voice and his smile which reached his eyes.

 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************


	3. Chapter Three

“Hey”

I looked up from my notes to see Moon Bin slide into the seat infront of me. For a moment, I was speechless, then I recovered my senses enough to say “Hi”

“What are you doing?”

“Oh just checking if my notes are complete or not”, I tried to sound casual, as I looked down to my notes again, but his presence made the words swim in my eyes.

His hand came down on my notes and I was forced to look at him as he took the book from me to look at it. My feet started tapping nervously.

“Hmm”

“Uh..” Should I ask him about the hiking club? Would that make me sound desperate? What should I do? Why was he even talking to me? He never did this before—

“Binnie-ya!”

Moon Bin’s friends were near the exit, and they seemed to be waiting for him. One of the guys called out again, “Coming for lunch?”

Moon Bin waved them away, “I’ll join you guys later. Go ahead”

The guy shrugged and the group left the room, but not before they threw a glance at me.  I tried to sit straight and not squirm under their gaze.

“Hey, about the hiking club--- “, he started to say but then he stopped abruptly. I turned to see who he was looking at.

“Eunwoo! Didn’t you go for lunch?” Eunwoo was standing beside me with a lunch box in one hand. He smiled at us both and sat down in his usual seat.

“Nah, I just went to get a drink. Here” He handed me a coke.

“Oh thanks, you’re the best” I took the drink, very conscious of the gaze of the person infront of me. “What about your usual friends?”

“They went to eat thai food today”

“Oh you don’t like spicy food?” Moon Bin interrupted.

“I can’t eat them.” Eunwoo opened his lunch box, unaware of Moon Bin’s narrowed eyes and semi hostile gaze. “Want some?” he offered, his mouth full with his first bite.

“Sure, thanks” Moon Bin looked a bit placated with the offer of food. His cheeks bulged as he took a huge bite. “Wow, it’s good”

Eunwoo’s eyes widened, I wasn’t sure why, either because of the size of the bite Moon Bin took or the unexpected compliment.

“Eunwoo cooks his own lunch” I said, trying to start a proper conversation. Honestly, I thought, Moon Bin and Eunwoo would get along really well if Moon Bin was willing to give it a chance. This idea took root in my mind; I wanted them to become friends.  “He’s better than me at cooking”

But this seemed to be the wrong thing to say, because Moon Bin’s “Oh really?” had a tinge of annoyance to it.

“Yeah I used to like watching my mom cook when I was a kid” Eunwoo’s eyes were now glued to his phone, busy replying to a text he had received.

“I gotta go then” Moon Bin stood up. I felt a little disappointed but also relieved that the source of my nervousness and anxiety was leaving.

“Oh okay” I said, my voice a pitch higher than usual. Damn it.

“By the way, we have our final match today for the inter college competition.”  Moon Bin put his hand on Eunwoo’s shoulder and he looked up from his phone. “I’d appreciate if you came to watch it”

Eunwoo nodded absentmindedly “Sure” and he turned back to his phone.

“You too” Moon Bin nodded at me and he smiled but his eyes were dark and determined.

“I will”

I thought Moon Bin wanted to show Eunwoo how skilled he was and how much better he was at basketball than Eunwoo. Later though, I found out that it was this and more. It was much more than I thought.

***

He was so pretty. His hair shone as he jumped, and his eyes were bright with the energy he had while playing basketball. Eunwoo sat beside me (again) and his followers had also come to watch the match. They sat beside him, but their eyes were not on him. For the moment, their attention was on the match and their admiration temporarily shifted from Eunwoo to Moon Bin who was the star on the court. Eunwoo didn’t seem to mind this and for the past quarter of an hour, he had been annoying me by nudging me and raising his eyebrow.

“Wow he’s so handsome” Eunwoo said, his mischievous grin spreading from ear to ear, just as Moon Bin ran near to our side of the court.

 “Stop teasing me “ I hissed at him.

He just laughed and nudged me. Gosh he was like a kid.

Then he did something which made me almost lose my life because of the shock.

“Moon Binnie! Someone likes yo-- !” I clamped my hand over his mouth before he could finish the sentence; surprising myself with my fast reaction. I hoped Moon Bin hadn’t heard anything over the crowd’s shouting and cheering.

But right at that moment, Moon Bin turned around and time froze as our eyes met. My hands were still on Eunwoo’s mouth (which his cult hadn’t noticed, thank god, otherwise they would sacrificially murder me). MoonBin’s eyes flashed, I couldn’t tell if it was anger or annoyance. Did he hear Eunwoo? Was it possible that he was able to hear us over all the noise?

Then the world came rushing back all at once, and Moon Bin started running to the other side, his head in the game once again. Eunwoo’s hand came to push away mine, and he protested with a “Get your dirty hand off my mouth!”

I barely heard him.

I knew next to nothing about basketball but today, Moon Bin’s movements looked aggressive. His earlier energetic play was replaced by a desperate frenzy as the game went on. During the half-time, I spotted the coach motioning to Moon Bin and it looked like he was telling the captain to calm down. I could see that the team’s spirit was dipping because all the players had dark expressions on their faces, as they drank water and took a break.

Moon Bin in particular, looked tired and dispirited. If he were a dog, his tail would be down and his ears flopping down sadly. I wanted to pat him and tell him that he could do it and that we all believed in him. But I could only sit there in the crowd, listening to the cheering from our side and the jeering from the opposing team’s audience.

“Honestly though, Moon Bin is awesome”

I tore my eyes away from him to look at Eunwoo who had just spoken.

“Like the entire team could be losers, which they aren’t, but he would drag them to victory” Eunwoo’s voice had a hint of admiration to it. I was used to hearing that kind of voice only when Eunwoo talked about veteran actors of whom he was a hardcore fan.

Oh how I wished these two would just become friends. Why was everything so complicated?

Suddenly there was a shrill whistle and the crowd started shouting all together. I snapped my head back to see what was happening on the court.

It turned out that the rumors of Moon Bin’s temper were not entirely without reason. There he was, with his hands grabbing at the collar of one of the opposite team member. I could see his mouth moving but it was too loud to hear anything. Eunwoo and I stood up abruptly to see what was happening better.

The players and the referee crowded around the two, trying to separate them. I sighed in relief as Moon Bin let go of the other guy and walked away.

The thing which happened next took a split moment; the other guy broke free from the referee’s grasp and then he slammed into Moon Bin. Moon Bin was caught by surprise and the other player tackled him onto the ground before he could react. He slammed his head down hard, and punched Moon Bin twice before some of his own teammates held him back and dragged him out of the court.

Moon Bin didn’t move. He just lay there, sprawled on the ground, his body limp. My heart lurched and I felt sick looking at him as they carried him out of the court, his long arms and legs dangling.

I thumped back down on my seat, speechless at what had just happened infront of us.

“He’ll be okay” I had forgotten Eunwoo was beside me. He sounded worried but he was saying words to comfort me. “He’s tough so he’ll be fine.”

But it was his head. His head was injured and he was knocked out cold. He might need stitches. It could be a concussion. All the bad scenarios played out in my head. I nodded to Eunwoo, trying to respond to his comforting words.

The game continued, with Moon Bin and the other player being replaced by extras. I couldn’t watch anymore so I got up to leave.

“I’ll see you tomorrow “, I told Eunwoo.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine?”

“It’s not me who got hit”, I said, trying a spark of humour but Eunwoo just shook his head.

“Okay them, go home directly” He really sounded like a mother sometimes. “It’s dark already so don’t roam around”

“I will, Mom” His lips curved into a smile at this and I left, glad that I could atleast ease his worry.

 

It was turning dark when I left the building; the match had started after our lectures ended. The sky had turned crimson as the sun set. I thought about going to the nurse’s office to check if they had taken Moon Bin there but imagining the crowd hanging around him changed my mind. I exited the college campus and went to the store nearby to buy a few drinks.

There was a playground near our university, with some swings and an old seesaw. I saw that it was abandoned right now, the kids were probably all safely inside their homes. I entered the playground through a small gate and sat down on one of the swings. I didn’t feel like going back home, where a lonely apartment would greet me. I suddenly wanted to go back to my parents—it had been my decision to attend this university and get a place of my own. I thought it would be fun, college and freedom. It was harder than I ever thought it would be. 

I don’t know how long I sat there, lost in thought. But when I finally got up and stretched, the streetlights were on and it was pitch dark. There was no moon, only a few stars sprinkled across the sky. I decided to leave and had reached the gate when I remembered the drinks I had left beside the swing set.

I sighed in exasperation. I had to go back.

In the dark, I could make out a figure too big for the swing sitting on it. It was too dark for me to see his face though and I approached cautiously.

Eunwoo’s warning flashed in my mind. Maybe I should just leave the drinks? It might be safer to just leave. It could be a pervert.

 Ah whatever, I’ll just quickly grab the plastic bag and walk away, I thought.

As I approached the swing set, I could tell that it was a familiar person. Another fateful encounter.

“Oh hi” Moon Bin didn’t look surprised to see me.

“Hey.” I had so many questions, one of them being “Are you okay?” but I just sat down on the other swing beside him. He had a bandage wound around his head but I couldn’t see if there was any blood. His face though. His beautiful face was puffy and his right cheek was swollen and purple. Still, his eyes had not been hit and they shone as they always did, pretty like the moon in the dark.

“I saw you leaving when I entered from the other gate” He explained. There was another gate besides the one I preferred to use.

“Um… are you okay?” It sounded more stupid out loud than it did in my head. Ofcourse he was not okay. His head was injured and he had been punched.

“I’ll be fine. Just a few bruises” He attempted a smile but he winced. It looked painful.

“That bastard. We all saw what happened. He just came at you out of nowhere” My voice sounded angry, and I realized I had been trying to push away this anger away unconsciously during the time I was in the park alone.

“It was partly my fault though”

“How? It was clearly him who refused to back off”

“He called us names and jeered at us so I started the fight. “ Moon Bin sounded resigned. “I told him that his face looked like a pug’s squished face and that we’ll pulverize their team”

I couldn’t help myself, I had to laugh at that. It was so childish, so funny. “And he punched you for that?”

He cracked a smile at that and then winced immediately after. “Ow. Yep. And this is the result” He gestured grandly at his face.

“Where are your friends by the way?”

“Um actually… I sneaked away from the nurse’s office. They were waiting outside the door because the nurse didn’t want them to disturb me. I came through the window” His face looked guilty and after he finished saying this, he waited as if he expected me to scold him.

“You should have taken more rest” I tried to be serious but I started laughing, imagining Moon Bin shoving his huge body through the window while his friends waited outside the door, not knowing a thing.  ‘Oh gosh you’re like a naughty kid”

“Well I didn’t feel like listening to sympathetic words. And my coach would definitely scold me for losing my temper”

I remembered my bag of drinks (which was the reason I came back, may I remind you) that I had forgotten. I reached out for them and passed one to Moon Bin. He took it and put the can on his swollen face. He nodded his thanks and was silent.

I tried to calm my thudding heart as I took a sip from my can.

“I just embarrassed myself infront of everyone, didn’t I?” he said ruefully, breaking the silence.

“No you didn’t. If anyone, that guy did.”

“Oh come on, I got punched and thrown around in front of the one I wanted to impress” his voice broke and he cleared his throat before continuing. “I was a loser.”

Oh. He really had invited Eunwoo so that he could show that he was better. Moon Bin had wanted to impress Eunwoo with his talent. That’s why he was taking the incident so hard.

“No you weren’t. Eunwoo said you were awesome and he was worried when you blacked out” Moon Bin’s frown deepened. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned him being knocked out cold. I hurried to continue, “Anyway, you walked away from the fight so you were cool. That guy was the coward for attacking you when your guard was down.”

At this, his dark eyes lifted and he looked at me, “Really?”

He sounded so childlike, and he looked like a puppy with his round eyes, innocently asking for confirmation. I so wanted to pet him and spoil him.

“Really really” I said firmly.

“Thanks” It was a small word but it sounded like he really meant it. It made me very happy. It was a small victory for me.

We talked about the hiking club and he said he would probably join the next week. I tried to hide my excitement at the thought of being in the same club with him and maybe even going on a hike with him.

 I felt tired after all the events of the day, and I got up to leave first. I was regretful of leaving early though and I wanted to stay behind to talk more but it was getting late.

“Take care of yourself” I told him.

“I will”

His eyes twinkled and he waved bye to me. I waved back and then walked away, feeling like I left half of my heart behind.

Not only did I leave Moon Bin behind but also the plastic bag with the leftover drinks. I had forgotten the very thing I went back to fetch in the first place.

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End file.
